A lawsuit filed against five major technological companies claimed that the companies supported child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The lawsuit alleges that Apple, Alphabet Inc, Tesla, Microsoft, and Dell bought cobalt that was mined by child workers, and that the companies knew about and benefited from the use of child labor in the mines. The plaintiffs stated that the companies aided and abetted the use of child labor but a judge in a US Court of Appeals determined that the companies were not at fault. The ruling stated that the five companies had a normal buyer-seller transaction with the suppliers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
See "US Court of Appeals rules in favor of major tech companies in lawsuit regarding child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo", Emma Ogao, ABC News, March 8, 2024